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THE

Scots Magazine,

AND

Edinburgh LITERARY MISCELLANY, FOR SEPTEMBER, 1806.

Description of the VIEW.

THIS is a very noble and extensive edifice. It is romantically situated on a peninsula, at the junction of the Teith and Ardoch, to the south-east of the town, commanding a full view of the Teith and bridge, and sur. rounded with groves and verdant fields. Nature has pointed out this spot as a place of strength, at least well suited to the art of war in ancient times; and it is more than probable, that, at an early period, this spot was occupied by some fortification, long before the present

AT

Sketch of the Life and

T six o'clock on Saturday after noon, September 13. this great and illustrious Statesman yielded his last breath in the arms of his nephew, Lord Holland. His dissolution was so gradual, and accompanied by se little struggle, as scarcely to permit the most anxious eye to ascertain the instant. His friends had at least the sad and melancholy consolation of perceiving that he suffered no painand they had been prepared for the event by the unerring symptoms of exhaustion that had increased for the two days preceding. On Friday, at noon, the physicans announced to him the approaching close, and he received it, as he had done in the first

edifice was erected. This is the more probable, when it is considered, that the present castle was built by one of the Earls of Monteith, at a time when Monteith was a lordship of regality: It is natural to presume, that' the family would have called the edifice the Castle of Monteith, after the lordship to which it belonged; but having called it Doune, we may suppose

that this was the ancient name of the spot whereon the building was erected It is the property of the Earl of Moray,

Character of Mr Fox.

instance, with that firm tranquillity of spirits which was characteristic of his nature, and which he maintained to the last.

The

Perhaps there never was a man with whose conduct and principles the nation at large has been so universally and so intimately acquainted as the great man whose lamented death we have now to record. superiority of his talents-their powerful and frequent adaptation to popular purposes-his representation of the populous, and, in some measure, Metropolitan City of Westminster, where he necessarily lived and acted in the bosom of his constituents-his easiness of access- his pleasant social

spirit. his friendly disposition and conciliating manners the candour which appeared in all he said, and the good nature which predominated in all he did, were qualities which rendered him, as it were, a personal acquaintance of the country; and of all political men the best known to the people.

Mr Fox was the second son of Henry, the first Lord Holland, and was born Jan. 13, O. S. 1749. Eton was the place of his education, and while he was there he gave a promise of those talents which has been since so amply fulfilled. From thence he proceeded to Oxford, where he resigned his classic pursuits to dramatic literature. It has been said, that during his residence at Oxford he read every play in the English language. He finished his education by the usual tour through Europe; and on his return to England, was elected into Parliament for Midhurst, a considerable time before he was of age; when he became the champion of Ministers, voted against the Middle sex Election, and the first Speech he made in Parliament was against Mr Wilkes.

He was appointed a Lord of the Admiralty, resigned in disgust, was a second time appointed, and afterwards removed to the Treasury Board, from whence he was dismiss ed; and all these political vicissitudes befel him before he had completed his 25th year. It may also be added, as an unexampled circumstance in the career of politics, that, before he had attained the age of twenty. four years, he was the ablest sup porter of the Minister throughout a whole session: and, in the course of the succeeding year, one of his most powerful and dangerous oppo. nents. His sudden removal from the Treasury Board was announced to him in the following laconic epistle:

His Majesty has thought proper to order a new Commission of

Treasury to be made out, in which I do not see your name.

(Signed),

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NORTH."

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Mr Fox now entered the lists of Opposition, and throughout the whole of the American War proved a most powerful antagonist to the Ministers of that period. On the downfal of Lord North he was ap、 pointed one of f the Secretaries of State, which situation he resigned on the death of the Marquis of Rockingam, when the Earl of Shelburne, since created Marquis of Lansdown, was appointed to succeed him, On the dissolution of that short-liv ed Administration, he formed the Coalition with Lord North, and resumed his former office. He now brought in his India Bill, which, af. ter having passed the House of Commons, was unexpectedly thrown out by the House of Lords, and occasioned the resignation of the Minis, try, of which he he formed a part. Mr Fox accordingly resumed his powerful station n on the Bench of Opposition, The Regency, the trial of Mr Hastings, and above all, the French Revolution, and its re lative effects to this country gave ample opportunity to display his talents and eloquence, both of which he continued to display against the Administrations of Mr Pitt, with the intervention of the period wh he thought proper to secede from his Parliamentary duty. The death of that Minister occasioned ed his recal to power.

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Of his eloquence and debating powers, it is not easy to speak in terms that can convey an adequate idea of them. His speeches may be considered as amongst the finest examples of argumentation, abounding in pointed observations and just con, clusions, clothed in forcible expres. sion, and delivered with manly bold.

ness.

The leading characteristic of his oratory was a ready, and, as it were, intuitive power of analysis,

which

which he possessed beyond any man now living.

He possessed in a high degree the talent which distinguishes man, and the genius that elevates him; nor was he without a portion of that virtue which is superior to them both. As Mr Burke has observed, and when he was in intimate friendship with him, his faults, though they might tarnish the lustre, and some times impede the march of his abilities, were not formed to extinguish the fire of great virtues. In his faults there was no mixture of deceit, of hypocrisy, of pride, of fero. city, or complexional despotism.

In all situations and circumstances, he was dear to his friends; those who have known him longest appear to have loved him best; and it is a remarkable circumstance, that those who attended and wept round his death bed, had been, among many others, the companionsof his youth, and the friends of his whole life.

In short, Mr Fox was among the distinguished characters which na ture seems to have prepared and ripened to become one of the ornaments of the present reign. We lament that the country is deprived of such a man.

land; and his first employment was, the herding of cattle; after which he was sent to Paisley, to serve his apprenticeship to the weaving busi ness, Perhaps owing to the roving nature of his former employment, he was not very fond of that sedentary occupation, and even, on one occasion, left it abruptly. From Paisley he went to the neighbourhood of Hamilton, in the capacity of a jour neyman weaver. Afterwards he re

moved to Glasgow, and was a clerk for some time to a silk mercer. With the assistance of some friends, he began, and carried on business for many years, in the linen yarn branch. In this situation, he imported French yarn from Flanders, and sold it with great advantage to the manufacty

rers.

This laid the foundation of his fortune, Sir Richard Arkwright having successfully put in practice his great improvement of cotton spinning machinery, an agreement was made between him and Mr Dale to erect works adapted to it on the Clyde ; and mechanics were sent to England, and there instructed in the business. Thus originated the wellknown Lanark Mills. But Sir Richard having lost the monopoly of that business, the connection was dissolved; and Mr Dale erected and carried on the business of the Mills

Biographical Account of Mr DAVID entirely on his own account.

M

DALE.

R DALE, whose death we have recorded, was born January 6, 1739, in the town of Stewarton in Ayrshire, where his father was a shop-keeper, who dealt in groceries, yarn, &c. His remote ancestors, however, had been farmers, accord ing to a family tradition, importing, that, till about 100 years before his time, a particular farm in the neigh. bourhood of Stewarton had been in their possession for 300 years. received that education which is usu ally given in the small towns of Scot

He

The

first mill was accidently burnt soon after it was built; but he heard the intelligence with the greatest composure, and persevered in his design, till, mill after mill arising, a cluster of these wonders of Art adorned a most romantic situation, greatly im proving the country around, and giving employment to thousands. In consequence of the success of these works, and their obvious advantage to the landed property, many landholders applied to Mr Dale to erect such works on their estates; and some were accordingly erected. Of these, the most successful were those

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established in the valley of Catrine, on the banks of the river of Air, upon the estate of Claude Alexander, Esq. of Ballamyle. Besides these cotton spinning concerns, Mr Dale manufactured large quantities of cot ton cloth-in concert with another gentleman, he established the first works in Scotland for dyeing cotton Turkey red-was a partner also in a manufactory of incles or tapes (which still has in its possession the original loom that was brought from Holland) and imported cotton wool from abroad. By these means, with great natural sagacity, and an enlarged be nevolent mind, the little herd-boy came in course of time to ride in his own carriage, was visited by the great, and extolled by the learned. At the mills which Mr Dale had erected on the banks of the Clyde, great num bers of destitute children were enga. ged for certain terms of years, for their board, cloathing, and lodging; besides which, by employing a number of teachers, he carefully attended to their education and religious instruction. In viewing the mills no particular was more pleasing to a stranger than the excellent order in which the boarders were kept. A vessel, freighted with Highland fa milies from the Hebrides, emigrating to America, being driven by foul weather into Greenock, Mr Dale sent agents there, and engaged the most of them to settle at his Mills; where they were comfortably provid. ed for. And he built a great number of houses, to accommodate such Highland families as conld not find employment in their own country. His exertions in behalf of the High. Janders were not confined to the sphere of the Lanark Mills-for he made various attempts to introduce the cotton manufacture in the Highlands-particularly, in concert with some other patriotic gentlemen, by erecting a mill at Spinningdale, on

the Firth of Dornoch, in Sutherland, shire. At an early period of life, he was religiously disposed, attended prayer-meetings, and went to Cambuslang, at the time of the striking revival of religion there. Dissatisfied with the Established Church, a few friends united with him in founding a Church on the Independent plan; and he became one of the preachers. In this capacity he continued to officiate statedly till his last illness. With no fluency of eloquence, he was a plain, serious, and very scriptural preacher. To enable him the better to expound the Bible, he received some instructions in the Hebrew and Greek languages. In his own temper and conduct, appeared much of the humble, meek, and forgiving spirit of Christianity. When only a journeyman weaver, it has been said, that he appropriated a part of his earning to the poor. When his resources were greater, during a time of scarcity, he imported a large quantity of meal, and sold it to the poor at a low rate. That he was the ge neral patron of generous and laudable undertakings, the Glasgow Infir mary, and Missionary and Bible Societies, among many other public institutions, can thankfully bear testimony. We have much pleasure in adding, that Mr Dale has left at least 100,0001. to his family, after having appropriated, in his life-time, more than twice that sum to pur poses of the purest benevolence.

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